APPS – Back to School Basics for Middle & High School

The following is a roundup of Apps that are perfect for back to school and are geared toward Middle - High school students. We did include a few must have paid apps at the end. Many we have reviewed in the past and they remain on the top of our list here at Teachers With Apps.

GREAT FREE APPS

Edmodo acts as a playground for teaching and learning with a place for posts, calendars, and general communication for teachers and students. Linking to students becomes simpler and more efficient as well as more effective when students enjoy the presentation of it. Edmodo makes it easy to share valuable apps with students.Evernoteis a note-taking tool that can easily be synced with a cell phone, allowing teachers to create and share notes on the go. Evernote makes it easy to remember things big and small from your everyday life using your computer, phone, tablet and the web. Evernote lets you take notes, capture photos, create to-do lists, record voice reminders and makes these notes completely searchable, whether you are at home or at work. For example text recognition in Evernote makes it a breeze to take a snapshot of a syllabus or assignment.Google Earth is a great tool for geography and social studies teachers to give students a birds-eye view of the places they are studying. Google Maps for Education provides resources to help teachers and students explore, create, and collaborate with mapping tools. Students who are taught geography are better equipped to understand how human and physical systems interact and to make informed decisions based on that knowledge.Haiku Deck - These brilliant developers have partnered with Getty Images and the library is not just majorly vast, it is top quality! Haiku Deck is a free iPad app that was developed to provide an easy way to create simple, stunning presentations, it lives up to its intentions and goes far beyond in the design potential department. Very kid friendly with no restraints for crossing different curriculum, "The New Powerpoint," of apps. Read TWA Review

Inspiration Maps – Engage students in active learning with Inspiration Maps. Students build their knowledge by creating diagrams, maps and organizers that help them brainstorm, plan, organize and build thinking skills. Tap to transform visual work into outlines that export for writing.Quizlet - Flashcards & Study Tools - A fun, and a simple way to study on your digital device or computer. This tried and true web based tool has packed all the best parts of Quizlet into a mobile version you can use anywhere — even offline. Seamless syncing means all your Quizlet study sets are ready to use.SAT Vocab by Mindsnacksmakes it easy to study SAT vocab by playing games. Featuring 9 addictive games designed to build essential SAT, PSAT & GRE vocabulary, the SAT Vocab app is perfect for students preparing for the SAT exam as well as adults continuing their lifelong quest to become wordsmithing wizards. More than just a vocab builder, this app replaces the tedious flashcards used in traditional learning apps with rich and unique games. That means you’ll actually enjoy learning key elements of the SAT such as antonyms, context, and spelling, all while boosting your ever- expanding vocabulary.World’s Worst Pet – Vocabulary is a great way to grow students vocabulary skills. Students will stay motivated through great game play, as this app is a take on the ever popular Cut the Rope. That, combined with sharp knives, scary spiders, old attics, toxic dumps and so much more, kids LOVE it! Word definitions are learned in several different ways and the player(s) needs to be on their toes. READ TWA REVIEW30/30 - Award Winning task manager app! You set up a list of tasks, and a length of time for each of them. When you start the timer, it will tell you when to move on to the next task. The task list is controlled entirely with gestures; a simple and natural way to use the app. The display is minimal but attractive and it still shows you everything you need to know: What am I supposed to be doing right now? How much time do I have left to do it?Multiple lists, syncing over iCloud, and smart time functions are just some of the features!GREAT APPS - not free...WolframAlphais the ultimate resource for students. The app serves as a database that can bring you virtually anything you wish: the derivative of a function, the location of a satellite at a certain time, unemployment rates in cities across the globe, genealogy — anything. It’s by far one of the most powerful tools a student can have, and a bargain at the price of $1.99. Well worth the price! READ TWA REVIEW